NASA is sponsoring Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), a science and education program, in Belize
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Sept. 8, 2022
On Thursday, September 8, Minister of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology, Hon. Francis Fonseca, and U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Leyla Moses-Ones, officially signed documents for the implementation of GLOBE, a NASA-sponsored science and education program, in Belize on Thursday, September 8.
Since 1994, the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program (GLOBE) has been bringing scientific research to the classroom via its worldwide program that brings together students, teachers, scientists, and citizens to promote learning about the environment and conduct real-world research through a hands-on approach.
The participants will conduct a local research initiative that covers five core fields: atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, soil (pedosphere), and Earth as a system and how our daily actions affect it, which will be entered into the GLOBE Observer (GO) mobile app.
According to Moses-Ones, GLOBE is an incredible tool that will bring STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) into the local classroom and prepare young students for the workforce.
“It is a chance for students to conduct real-world, hands-on scientific experiments using the scientific method and feed those results into the apps program, which then goes into a global database. For example, if other scientists are tracking activity in Belize’s mangroves but aren’t able to come here for hands-on research, this is a way for students to go out, collect that data, and personally contribute to the world trove of information and the growing body of knowledge,” said Moses-Ones.
During Hon. Fonseca’s remarks at today’s signing, he highlighted the fact that NASA’s GLOBE program will be directly aligned with the Ministry’s new curriculum framework.
“The GLOBE initiative is also fully aligned with our newly launched national curriculum framework, which not only prioritizes the teaching and the learning of science and technology at all levels of our education system but also adopts a competency project-based learning which emphasizes the critical importance of research, data collection, and hands-on learning. We at the Ministry of Education are excited about the promise and potential of this program and we’re confident that our wonderful students and teachers at the high school level will be equally excited and enthusiastic [about] embracing this unique opportunity,” said Hon. Fonseca.
According to Hon. Fonseca, the GLOBE program will be starting with students at the high school level and trickle its way to the lower levels, then to the entire education system in Belize.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr. (Hon.) Louis Zabaneh, applauded the US Embassy for bringing the initiative to Belize.
Currently, over 38,000 schools in 126 countries are engaged in the GLOBE program.